Longoria Leads Rays to Wild Card Berth

Rick Yeatts/Getty Images(ARLINGTON, Texas) -- Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run and reached base four of his five plate appearances leading the Tampa Bay Rays to the playoffs as they beat the Texas Rangers, 5-2 Monday.

Price (10-8) threw a complete game, striking out four, as the Rays win the one-game play-in to earn the final wild-card spot in the American League.

Tampa started the scoring early when Delmon Young hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning driving in Wil Myers. Longoria put the Rays up for good in the third when he smashed a two-run homer off Martin Perez (10-6).

"I'm happy to be able to contribute today and be a part of this win," Longoria told the MLB Network. "But hat off to David (Price), he did an awesome job."

Tampa (92-71) stopped the red hot Rangers (91-72) -- winners of their previous seven games -- from making the playoffs for the first time since 2009.